


Fermata

by diaryofafunnyfan



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Idols, Alternate Universe - Style Five, Ambiguous Relationship, Gen, M/M, Pining, k-pop inspired
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2019-04-04 01:07:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14008860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/diaryofafunnyfan/pseuds/diaryofafunnyfan
Summary: Haruka wasn’t sure he was cut out to be an idol. The only thing he was sure of is he is destined to sing with that redhaired kid with the dazzling smile.





	Fermata

**Author's Note:**

> I watched too many k-pop videos, and love Style Five, so this happened.

Haruka remembered being quite young when his parents shook the hand of Sasabe Gorou, his new manager. Looking back, he wasn’t entirely sure why he had agreed to audition for an entertainment company as a singer, but that didn’t really matter now.

He had always had an interest in singing, even if he didn’t like singing for people. ‘Oh, he’s so sweet.’ ‘Isn’t he charming, with his cute little songs?’ Every adult would say before ruffling his hair.

Auditioning for Iwatobi Entertainment had been Makoto’s idea. He had always talked about how good Haruka’s voice was, and Haruka knew Makoto had a good voice too, so they both auditioned. They also both got accepted. Months of rigorous vocal lessons followed.

At age eleven, he stepped into the dance studio of IwaEnt (as Sasabe called it) for the first time, Makoto on his heels. A short blond boy scampered up to them. ‘Hi! I’m Hazuki Nagisa!’

‘Hi, I’m Tachibana Makoto.’ Makoto smiled at the kid.

Hazuki grinned at Makoto. ‘Nice to meet you Mako-chan.’ He ignored Makoto’s flustered remarks about the immediate and friendly nickname to stare at Haruka.

‘I’m Nanase…’ Haruka said before mumbling his given name.

‘Huh? Nanase?’ Hazuki blinked.

‘Haru-chan hates using his name.’ Makoto explained.

‘I told you, drop the -chan…’ Haruka muttered, pouting with a small blush. Hazuki giggled.

‘Well, I’m glad we’re going to be in the same group, Haru-chan and Mako-chan.’

‘Is it just the three of us?’ Makoto asked.

‘We’re waiting for one more person. He should be here soon.’ Sasabe explained as he walked over to the children.

Haruka tuned out Makoto and Hazuki’s questions about their tardy bandmate to-be as he took in the studio. There was a mirror that covered the entire length of one wall, a large stereo system with intimidating looking speakers, and a ballet barre in the back of the room.

The door opened and Haruka locked eyes with the most enticing shade of crimson he had ever seen.

‘Aaah, you’re finally here. Boys, this is Matsuoka Rin. He’ll also be in your group.’ Sasabe explained, placing a hand on Rin’s shoulder.

Matsuoka grinned. ‘Nice to meet you, I’m Rin. I have a girly name but I’m a boy. Let’s work hard!’

‘We all have girly names! I’m Hazuki Nagisa, that’s Makoto and he’s Haru.’ Hazuki exclaimed excitedly, pointing to both Makoto and Haruka.

‘Nice to meet you, Matsuoka-kun.’ Makoto smiled sheepishly at Hazuki’s exuberance.

Matsuoka stared Haruka down for a moment before Sasabe decided to get dance practice underway.

 

The first few days were easy enough. Sasabe had them doing general warm ups and basic choreography. ‘Haru-chan dances like a dolphin swims!’ Both Nagisa (Nagisa had insisted Haruka use his given name) and Makoto had exclaimed multiple times throughout the first day. Matsuoka said nothing, but his eyes were glued to Haruka as they all danced. Haruka would deny his eyes were also stuck on Matsuoka if asked.

 

The following week was vocal training, the first time he heard Matsuoka sing. Nagisa had a sweet and cheerful voice, he would be a crowd pleaser. Makoto already had the makings of a rock vocalist but also a good voice for pop songs. Matsuoka’s voice was raw and rough but emotional. Haruka tried to ignore the heat thrumming through his veins when he heard Matsuoka sing his first note.

 

“Hey Nanase, why don’t we sing a duet?’ Matsuoka suggest one day while they were taking a water break. Haruka frowned at him.

‘I don’t do duets, or solos.’

‘Aaaaawww, don’t be lame.’ Matsuoka whined, throwing an arm around Haruka’s shoulders.

‘Oi…’ Haruka grumbled, a faint pink dusting his cheeks.

‘Haru-chan, Rin-chan, we need to get back to practice!’ Nagisa cried out from where he was standing with Makoto by the mirror.

Matsuoka removed his arm from Haruka, stretched, and stood up. ‘Let’s go, Nanase.’ The challenging smirk he wore before walking off made Haruka’s heart palpitate.

 

‘Now boys, we need to discuss some aspects about being an idol you may find boring.’ Sasabe explained one day. The children were sitting in a semicircle in front of him, staring up at him.

‘What is it Gorou-chan?’ Nagisa asked.

‘Address your elders with respect, Nagisa.’ Sasabe muttered with a frown, before sighing. ‘Now, as I’m sure you’re aware, being an idol is all about image. You need to market yourself.’

‘How do we do that?’ Makoto asked.

‘First of all, stage personas can help. For example, Haruka is clearly the stoic and mysterious type. Girls love celebrities like that.’ Sasabe explained.

‘Nanase can be so distant.’ Rin teased, prodding Haruka in the side. Haruka glared at him.

‘I think Haru-chan is always smiling on the inside.’ Nagisa mused.

Before anyone could comment on that, Sasabe cleared his throat. ‘As I was saying, girls also love to see close friendship between men. You boys should act as chummy as possible in front of your fans.’

‘That sounds kind of disingenuous…’ Makoto mumbled with an unsure expression.

‘Nonsense! You get to be close with your friends and they get to see what they want. Everyone wins.’ Sasabe explained with a smarmy grin. Makoto still looked uncertain, so Sasabe added, ‘It’ll make them happy.’

‘Well… I guess it’s okay if it makes them happy.’ Makoto said. He really was too soft-hearted.

Rin slung an arm around Haruka’s shoulder and pressed their cheeks together with a sharp-toothed grin. ‘Nanase will have trouble with that.’

‘Oi… you’re too close.’ Haruka muttered with a blush.

‘I want to hug Haru-chan too!’ Nagisa exclaimed, leaping over Makoto to tackle Haruka into a hug. Haruka gasped as the air was knocked out of him and Nagisa made himself comfortable on his lap. Makoto and Rin laughed while Haruka pouted.

 

During vocal practice or dance practice, Haruka’s eyes always met Rin’s. Whenever Rin danced one move, Haruka found himself wanting to perform a flashier one.

 

Haruka was practicing vocal scales with Makoto but Matsuoka singing on the other side of the room distracted Haruka and made him join in singing Matsuoka’s song. He wasn’t sure why he reacted to Rin that way.

 

A few weeks later and they were preparing for their debut stage. Since IwaEnt was a small company, it would be a casual affair. Sasabe seemed pleased with ticket sales, so Haruka figured they must already drawing a buzz.

Their group had gone to a studio and had official pictures taken to market the band. Haruka wasn’t fond of photos but it could be worse. It was announced online their group name would be revealed during their debut show. They had even filmed and released a short PV for their first song that had a generous amount of views on the internet, considering they were starting with nothing.

 

‘Now, it’s time to choreograph the dance for your debut song.’ Sasabe announced a month before their debut date. Everyone nodded with determination. They had all been together for almost a year now, so their group was ready.

‘Haruka and Makoto, you stand stage left. Rin and Nagisa, you stand opposite them stage right. Make sure Haruka and Rin are in the middle.’ The boys did as they were told. ‘Rin, you sing the first lines of the song, so make your way over to Haruka and nudge him.’

Matsuoka strutted over to Haruka and nudged their shoulders together. ‘Let’s work hard, Nanase.’ He grinned. Haruka pouted.

‘Good, keep that up boys.’ Sasabe stated. He then proceeded to direct them through the rest of the dance.

 

‘Hey, Nanase?’ Matsuoka said, as their group walked back to the apartment the boys were currently staying in.

‘What?’ Haruka asked, not bothering to look up from the ice cream bar Makoto had given him.

‘We’re going to be debuting as a group soon, so shouldn’t we be calling each other our names?’

This made Haruka frown at Matsuoka. ‘I don’t see how it matters.’

‘I think Rin-chan’s right. We’re a team, practically family now.’ Nagisa interjected. Haruka glanced at Makoto for his opinion.

‘I also… kind of agree with Rin.’ Makoto admitted, sheepishly. Matsuoka grinned.

‘Well, Haru, let’s knock everyone’s socks off!’ Matsuoka, no, Haruka guessed he was Rin now, declared, throwing an arm around Haruka and Makoto’s shoulders.

 

The day of their debut performance, Rin gathered their group in a circle. ‘I have a confession to make.’ He took in everyone’s apprehensive expressions. ‘I was once part of another group. My best friend, Sousuke, was also in it.’

‘Why are you telling us this?’ Nagisa asked.

Rin chuckled. ‘I guess I want there to be no secrets between us, especially now.’

‘We don’t care that you had another group.’ Makoto smiled.

‘It doesn’t matter. You’re with us now, that’s what counts.’ Haruka said with a stern look. Everyone grinned at Haruka and nodded. ‘Now let’s have the best show ever.’

‘That’s my line!’ Rin whined before laughing. Nagisa and Makoto laughed too. Haruka also couldn’t help a small smile.

 

That night, since they rotated roommates, Haruka and Rin shared a room.

‘Hey, Haru?’ Rin whispered.

‘Hm?’

Rin reached his hand out as if attempting to touch Haruka’s bed. ‘I’m glad we got to debut together.’ Haruka was still for a moment, making Rin feel awkward.

Haruka slowly reached out and took Rin’s hand. ‘Me too.’ He whispered. Haruka didn’t need to see Rin’s face to know he was grinning. They fell asleep with their hands linked.

 

Hurt was the only thing Haruka could remember feeling when Rin announced he would be leaving to study at a conservatory in Australia. Didn’t he care about their group? Didn’t he care about Haruka? Was their moment the night of their debut meaningless to him?

Nagisa sniffled and Makoto looked teary eyed as they said goodbye to Rin. Yamazaki, Rin’s friend he had been with in another group, had also come to see Rin off. Haruka tried telling himself he wasn’t sad when he watched Rin get in the car with his mother and leave.

 

Fans had been upset but vowed to wait for Rin to return from Australia. Haruka still trained every day with Makoto and Nagisa but something was missing without Rin. His voice felt hollow and his dancing weak. Nobody knew how long Rin would be gone for.

 

A year later, Haruka was taking the long way to get to IwaEnt when he had to stop at a train crossing. He yawned as the train passed but saw a flash of red before his view of the other side was blocked.

Once the train passed and barrier lifted, Haruka was stunned. It was Rin… It couldn’t be anyone else. Haruka ran across the tracks to the other.

‘Haru…’ Rin murmured. His eyes were cold, and his expression was dark. What was wrong?

‘How long have you been back?’

‘I just got home.’

‘Why didn’t you tell us?’

‘I quit being an idol.’

Haruka stood, stupefied at Rin’s confession. ‘Why?’

‘I refuse to sing or dance anymore.’ Rin muttered, not meeting Haruka’s eyes. Before he could reply, Rin took off running in the other direction.

‘Rin, wait!’ Haruka shouted, running after him. It was useless, Rin was too fast and Haruka lost sight of him.

 

The official news broke of Rin quitting their band the next day. Fangirls cried but offered their support of Rin’s future endeavours. Haruka refused to talk to anyone, even Makoto.

Sasabe insisted their group had to continue and introduced two new boys into their band. Kirishima Ikuya was already famous as a child actor (along with his elder brother, Natsuya) and was quickly becoming the country’s top young celebrity. Shiina Asahi had been training for years and was excited to finally join an official idol group.

 

‘You aren’t taking this seriously!’ Ikuya shouted at Haruka. They had been training together for only a month but Ikuya could tell Haruka’s heart wasn’t into it.

‘We’re here to work hard. If you aren’t going to commit to this, you should just go!’ Asahi added. It was rare for Asahi and Ikuya to agree, but there was no denying Haruka needed to shape up.

‘Guys, maybe we should take a break.’ Makoto suggested, looking stressed.

‘I hate this…’ Nagisa mumbled.

‘What do you mean?’ Asahi demanded.

‘This isn’t fun anymore. I quit!’ Nagisa yelled, tears streaming down his face as he ran out of the practice room. Makoto rushed after Nagisa with a yell of his name. Haruka merely stared at his bandmates.

 

The next day, Haruka handed in his official resignation of the band. He knew Nagisa had done the same the previous day. Makoto said nothing but Haruka knew he also cancelled his contract.

 

For the next three years, Haruka refused to sing a note or dance. People sometimes recognised him, but they seemed to know better than to approach him.

Haruka stared at his phone as an unfamiliar number lit up his screen. Makoto was the only one who ever tried contacting his phone. Hesitantly, he answered. ‘Haru-chan, is that you?’ A strange voice said. Haru-chan… could it be?

‘Nagisa?’

‘Yay! I’m so glad I got the right number from Mako-chan. You sound really different.’ Nagisa seemed as energetic as ever, even if he had gone through puberty.

‘You do too.’

Nagisa chuckled before getting to his point. ‘I wanted to ask if you could meet me at IwaEnt. Mako-chan will be there, too.’

‘Why?’

‘Because, it’s… a… sur-… -prise!’ Nagisa enunciated each syllable. Haruka sighed. He did want to see Nagisa again, and Makoto would most likely be expecting him. He also supposed he owed it to Sasabe for his abrupt departure from his company all those years ago. Maybe he would even be able to apologise to Ikuya and Asahi, as well.

‘Fine, I’ll see you there.’ Haruka couldn’t help but smile when he heard Nagisa’s whoop of joy over the line.

 

Walking down the halls of IwaEnt felt strange. He peeked into the practice room and saw Asahi, Ikuya, and their bandmate Kisumi. Kisumi was smiling and Asahi was shouting something incoherent as Ikuya watched with a disapproving frown. Haruka’s heart jumped into his throat when he and Ikuya met eyes. There was an awkward moment before Ikuya merely nodded. Haruka nodded back, before deciding to leave for Sasabe’s office.

Haruka knocked on the door, as he had done many times as a child. ‘Enter.’ Sasabe called from inside. Haruka was not prepared for what he saw when he opened the door.

‘Haru-chan! It’s so good to see you again after so long!’ Nagisa said. He hadn’t changed much, only getting a little taller.

‘Hi, Haru. I’m glad you came.’ Makoto smiled. Haruka couldn’t pay attention to either of them, his eyes were focused on startling crimson. It couldn’t be…

‘Hi… Haru.’ Rin murmured, his expression reserved. Haruka merely gaped at Rin as Nagisa spoke.

‘Isn’t this great? With Rin-chan back, we can be a band again!’

‘Nagisa, I told you that’s not how it works.’ Sasabe grumbled.

‘I will be joining your group. Not Rin-san.’ A strange voice said. Haruka managed to drag his eyes away from Rin’s long enough to notice the stranger in the room.

‘Haruka, this is Ryuugazaki Rei. He’s been training with me for quite some time. If you’ll agree, I want you to join him with Makoto and Nagisa as a band.’ Sasabe explained.

‘What about Rin?’ Haruka found the words tumbling out of his mouth before he could stop them.

‘I’m signed under a new agency now. I can’t join you.’ Rin admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. A million questions raced through Haruka’s mind.

‘I’m sure you boys have a lot of catching up to do. Why don’t you all get some lunch together. You can also get to know Rei.’ Sasabe suggested.

 

That was how Haruka found himself sitting at a booth in a tiny diner with his former bandmates and a stranger. Haruka ignored the others in favour of staring at Rin. Rin returned the staring, so Haruka didn’t feel bad. Makoto and Ryuugazaki fidgeted awkwardly while Nagisa happily perused the menu, intentionally ignoring the uncomfortable atmosphere.

‘Ooh, Rei-chan, I think you’d like this dessert.’ Nagisa exclaimed, shoving the menu under Ryuugazaki’s nose.

‘Rei-chan?’ He stammered indignantly before fixing his glasses with a huff. ‘Hazuki-kun, I don’t think these dining conditions are ideal.’

‘What do you mean?’ Nagisa asked, smiling innocently. However, the sharp edge in his gaze indicated he knew exactly what Ryuugazaki meant.

‘Nagisa, maybe Ryuugazaki-kun doesn’t like to talk about sweets before a meal.’ Makoto pointed out. Haruka heard a soft thunk and a wince from Makoto and knew Nagisa had kicked him.

‘Actually, why don’t we take Rei-chan to that new ice cream shop just down the road? We can leave Haru-chan and Rin-chan since they don’t really like sweets.’ Nagisa stated, giving Makoto a pointed look.

Makoto stared at Nagisa for a moment before glancing at Haruka and Rin, still locked in their stare off. ‘Okay, that sounds like a good idea.’ Makoto admitted.

Nagisa shouted happily at the prospect of getting ice cream, ushering a bewildered Ryuugazaki out of the diner with an uneasy Makoto on their heels. Makoto cast one last look back at Haruka but realised he was still too busy with Rin to acknowledge they had left.

‘Why did you come back?’ Haruka asked.

‘Japan is my home. Australia was just a place to train my skills.’ Rin explained, finally breaking eye contact to pick at the peeling plastic on the menu in front of him.

“ _Why did you say you quit being an idol back then?_ ” Haruka wanted to ask. His voice wouldn’t cooperate. ‘What new agency did you sign under?’ He asked instead.

‘Samezuka Productions.’ Haruka’s eyes widened. SamePro was the top entertainment company in Tottori prefecture, one of the best in Japan. ‘It’s the best way to achieve my dream.’

‘Are you back in a band with Yamazaki?’

‘Not currently, I’m going to debut as a soloist for now.’ Rin explained.

‘You’ll be great.’ Haruka found himself saying.

Rin frowned. ‘Are you mocking me?’

‘I’m not. You were assigned to be our leader for a reason.’

‘Don’t patronise me.’ Rin muttered, taking an angry sip of his water. Haruka sighed.

‘We should probably catch up with the others and get back to Sasabe.’ Rin said after a prolonged silence. Haruka agreed and they left.

 

Swimming always helped Haruka clear his head. Having just re-signed his contract with Sasabe, he wasn’t sure he was ready to resume idol life.

Haruka remembered cheering fans, the anticipatory silence, singing note after note across from Rin on the stage. He tried to ignore the way his heart fluttered.

An offered hand dangled in front of Haruka’s face when he swam up to the edge of the pool. He looked up and saw Makoto’s smiling. ‘Afternoon, Haru-chan.’

‘I told you, drop the -chan.’ Haruka grumbled, taking Makoto’s hand and getting out of the pool anyway.

‘Sasabe wants us to do some recording for a song tomorrow.’ Makoto got right to the point as Haruka grabbed his towel and dried his hair.

‘Whatever, I’ll sing the way he tells me to.’

‘I think you should sing any way you want.’ Makoto’s words made Haruka pause. How did he want to sing?

 

Nagisa frowned as he watched Haruka through the recording studio window as Haruka sang into the microphone. ‘What’s wrong, Nagisa?’ Makoto asked.

‘Haru-chan’s singing doesn’t sound right...’

‘Perhaps Haru-chan-san just hasn’t found his motivation yet?’ Rei suggested. Nagisa merely worried his lip with concern as an answer.

 

‘Okay boys, big news!’ Sasabe announced as he approached his charges a few weeks later.

‘What is it Gorou-chan?’

‘Since Rin’s solo debut is happening around the same time your official reformation occurs, I’ve contacted the president of Samezuka Productions to arrange a collaboration.’ Sasabe proudly stated.

‘Eeh?! We’ll get to sing with Rin-chan again?!’ Nagisa asked, excitedly.

‘That’s wonderful.’ Makoto’s smile took up his whole face.

‘I look forward to observing Rin-san’s vocal prowess in person.’ Rei fixed his glasses as he spoke.

‘Hey, Haru…’ Makoto’s enthusiastic words stopped when he saw Haruka’s expression.

‘Rin… I’ll get to sing… with Rin again?’ Haruka’s eyes shimmered. He wasn’t sure how he felt. Excitement, frustration, worry, happiness all warred in his heart.

‘It’ll be just like old times, I’m so glad.’ Nagisa cried, flinging his arms around Haruka’s neck and nuzzling their cheeks together. Haruka patted Nagisa’s hair but his mind was thinking of determined red eyes and a soft hand clasping his under the cover of darkness while the adrenaline of a first performance ran through their veins.

 

‘We all thank you for this opportunity.’ Makoto said to Sugimoto, president of Samezuka Productions and Rin’s new manager.

The man chuckled before casually waving a hand. ‘I think it’s a great idea and excellent publicity all around.’

‘We’ll need a dynamic title to introduce you guys as, though.’ Sasabe touched his chin in deep thought.

‘How about… Style Five?’ Rin suggested.

‘I love it!’ Nagisa squealed.

‘That sounds perfect.’ Makoto beamed.

‘Simple yet bold, excellent idea.’ Rei nodded with a smile.

Everyone stared at Haruka. ‘It’s great.’ He murmured, gazing at Rin.

‘Let’s get started on show preparations.’ Sasabe declared proudly.

 

‘Now, since there’s a lot of buzz about this collaboration, we from Samezuka Productions and Iwatobi Entertainment also want to release a PV featuring Style Five.’ Sugimoto explained to the group.

‘Really? People are excited for us?’ Makoto asked.

‘It’s true, people all over SNS are talking about it.’ Nagisa had his phone out and was scrolling through twitter.

‘That’s… a lot of pressure.’ Rei almost looked nauseous.

‘What kind of PV did you have in mind?’ Rin asked, wanting to stay on topic.

‘It will showcase the themes of youth, maturation, and brotherhood.’ Sasabe said.

 

Haruka wasn’t sure he liked this PV. The song they had recorded was great, but a video just seemed like too much work for nothing.

‘Now in this scene, you and Rin will be fighting and Haruka, you have to calm him down.’ Sasabe was in his element as director. Rin gave Haruka a guarded look.

‘What does us fighting have to do with the song?’ Rin asked.

‘It showcases the turbulence of growing up, and Haruka comforting you is pure brotherhood.’ Sugimoto explained.

Having to act out a fight with Rin wasn’t pleasant.

Rin accidentally gave Haruka a particularly hard shove and his eyes widened momentarily before settling into indifference. ‘You okay?’ He whispered so the cameras wouldn’t catch it.

‘Yes.’ Haruka whispered back, taking hold of Rin’s arms in what he hoped looked like a soothing manner.

‘No, no, Haruka you need to comfort him. Try something else.’ Sasabe interjected.

Haruka decided to go with his first instinct and pulled Rin into a hug even though Rin was acting out a token struggle against the affection. After a moment, he stopped struggling and melted into Haruka’s embrace. Haruka held Rin tighter, remembering that day Rin had run away from him at the railroad tracks.

‘Excellent, that was perfect!’ Sasabe sounded pleased.

‘Haru, you can… let go of me now.’ Rin muttered after a few moments of Haruka not releasing the hug. Haruka would deny the clench his heart felt as he let go of Rin.

 

Finally, it was the day of the collaboration performance. Nagisa and Makoto mentioned how much buzz it was getting on SNS and how views the PV’s teaser had. The full PV would be revealed at the event.

‘The PV still feels like a waste of effort.’ Haruka said.

‘Videos are a staple of idol life; your career can’t survive without them.’ Rin explained, gaze cold.

‘Why isn’t our singing enough for people?’ Haruka asked.

‘Now, now, there’s no need to get so worked up about this…’ Makoto hastily tried interjecting.

‘’You knew what you were getting into when you signed your contract.’ Rin stated, now almost nose to nose with Haruka.

Haruka returned Rin’s glare. ‘That’s missing the point.’

Rin looked like he wanted to say more but he heaved a deep sigh and stormed out of the room, slamming the door as he went. Haruka sighed as well, then a hand touched his shoulder.

‘Go talk to him.’ Makoto urged.

‘I don’t think he’s in the mood…’ Haruka mumbled.

‘I think you should talk to Rin-chan too.’ Nagisa insisted, nudging Haruka towards the door. Haruka cast a glance at Nagisa before opening the door and going to find Rin.

 

Rin was punching the pillows on waiting room couch, muttering to himself. Haruka hesitated a moment before calling out to him. Rin froze.

‘What do you want, Haru?’

‘I wanted to make sure you were okay.’ Haruka knew he had to be honest here. Rin slowly turned around.

‘I’m fine.’

‘Why did you get so defensive about the PV?’

‘We put so much effort into it. Everyone loves it. You were amazing in it, yet you thought it was pointless?’ Rin looked about to cry, which alarmed Haruka.

‘I was amazing? You were obviously the star.’ Haruka said.

‘Don’t lie, it’s obvious you owned the video’s spotlight.’

‘That’s not true!’ Haruka insisted, placing his hands on Rin’s shoulders. ‘Nagisa showed me the comments, everyone’s raving about how good you sounded and how cool you looked.’

Rin slowly placed his hands on Haruka’s wrists. ‘When I checked the comments with Makoto, they were mostly about you.’

‘Actually,’ Rei’s voice interrupted, ‘according to my data, you’ve both received an equal amount of comments.’ Haruka and Rin turned to see Rei, Nagisa, and Makoto watching them with fondly exasperated faces.

‘Really?’ Rin asked.

‘Yeah, the numbers don’t lie.’ Nagisa said with a grin.

‘It’s just… it felt like I was twelve again. Trying my hardest, only to be shown up by Haru, and Haru, you didn’t even seem to care.’

‘I do care.’ Haruka’s eyes were shimmering and he realised he had yet to remove his hands from Rin’s shoulders. Rin was also still holding his wrists. Rin stared at him in disbelief.

‘I… really wanted to sing with you again.’ Haruka added.

‘Haru-chan’s been looking forward to this collab, even though he won’t admit it.’ Nagisa teased, making Haruka pout.

‘Really?’

‘Haruka-senpai was especially anticipating having a dramatic scene with you in the PV.’ Rei couldn’t resist teasing as well.

‘Oi…’ Haruka was blushing now.

‘Haru…’ Rin had a tear running down his cheek, but he was smiling.

‘They’re… not wrong.’ Haruka muttered, shyly averting eye contact.

‘If I’m not interrupting, it’s time for you to go on stage.’ Sasabe announced with a knowing expression, eyes on Haruka and Rin.

Makoto, Rei, and Nagisa all followed after Sasabe but Haruka and Rin remained behind for a moment.

‘Haru?’

‘Yeah?’

‘Let’s give them a performance they’ve never seen before.’ Rin grinned, grabbing Haruka’s hand and pulling him down the hall after their bandmates.

 

The show began with Rin singing his solo song about overcoming obstacles and reaching his dream. Everyone loved it, though Haruka told himself his heart wasn’t palpitating listening to the passion in Rin’s voice.

Next, Makoto took the stage and sang a rock song about never losing your spark or direction in life. The crowd was stunned a mellow person with a sweet voice like Makoto could pull off such a song.

Haruka and Rin joined Makoto on stage and sang a song about friendship and their common dream. The screams were deafening, especially when Rin wrapped his arms around Haruka and Makoto’s shoulders as they sang to the crowd.

While they changed, Nagisa and Rei took the stage and sang a sweet duet, making the audience squeal with delight. Nagisa really brought Rei out of his shell.

Finally, all five took the stage to sing their promotional single. Haruka tried focusing on the dance’s choreography but his eyes kept getting drawn to Rin.

Despite his cool and stoic image, Haruka couldn’t help his smile. He was finally singing with Rin again. He proudly grasped Rin’s hand when they all came together to bow at the end their performance. The beaming smile Rin sent Haruka’s way let him know the feeling was mutual.

‘We did it, Haru.’ Rin whispered in Haruka’s ear over the screams of their fans.

‘Yeah…’ Haruka’s eyes shimmered.

**Author's Note:**

> The title is from a B.A.P song and the PV Style Five shoot is heavily inspired by BTS's Run MV, not even sorry (please check both songs/the MV out).


End file.
